Skin laxity vs cellulite: what is the difference?

Skin looseness vs cellulite: the differences

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• Weak connective tissue, skin looseness and cellulite

• Cellulite classification according to skin looseness

• Skin looseness and fibrosis at the same time

• How do you reverse skin looseness and cellulite at the same time?

• Check our professional consultancy in radiofrequency, ultrasound cavitation, cellulite and skin tightening

Weak connective tissue, skin looseness and cellulite

One of the reasons that cellulite develops is the breakdown of connective tissue in the hypodermis, either due to the action of the female hormonal cycle, due to inactivity - or both.

Weak connective tissue, i.e. tissue with low collagen levels, manifests as skin looseness.

Weak hypodermal connective tissue which is additionally combined with increased fat accumulation, leads to the cellulite appearance.

Furthermore, weak connective tissue also encourages water retention, another feature of cellulite.

All in all, skin laxity, water retention and cellulite quite often come together, in different ratios.

Cellulite classification according to skin looseness: soft cellulite vs hard cellulite

• If skin looseness is significant, then people refer to the cellulite appearance as ‘soft cellulite’

• If skin looseness is mild (or even non-existent in some cases), then people refer to the cellulite appearance as ‘hard cellulite’

Skin looseness and fibrosis at the same time

• In all cases, as cellulite progresses, the larger collagen bands (retinaculae cutis or erroneously called ‘septae’) tend to get injured and fibrotic, i.e. they shorten and thicken

• At the same time the smaller collagen strands get thinner, weaker and broken

• The result is a strong mattress structure on the skin, i.e. cellulite

So, in cellulite we have coexistence of both skin laxity (weak connective tissue overall) and fibrosis (hardened connective tissue at spots), occurring next to each other, almost at the same place.

This is one of the contradictions of cellulite and makes cellulite treatment very difficult.

How do you reverse skin looseness and cellulite at the same time?

• The only safe and effective way to improve skin tightness fast is with deep-acting, high-power radiofrequency treatment. This has the additional effect of hypodermal fat reduction, especially when combined with high-power ultrasound cavitation. Anything else, e.g. HIFU or RF microneedling is either unsafe and/or ineffective.

• Concentrated cellulite creams with skin tightening active molecules, such as hydroxyproline peptide and centella asiatica triterpenes, can also help. Diluted cellulite creams (the vast majority of such creams on the market) have no chance of working.

• Exercise and healthy nutrition are very important to maintain both skin firmness and cellulite

Check our professional consultancy, for a masterclass in radiofrequency, ultrasound cavitation, cellulite and skin tightening

Do you want to deeply understand radiofrequency, ultrasound cavitation, cellulite and skin tightening? Attend a half-day, 1-day or 2-day or 3-day professional consultancy / one-to-one training and confidently offer your clients the safest, strongest and most effective treatment possible. Service available via Zoom or at our central London practice.